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God is love

God is love. It’s a simple statement, but has profound ramifications. Love can only exist when there is freedom. But freedom entails risk. As intelligent beings, we are free to choose to love Him, risking rejection in the process.

When Satan rejected God, God didn’t destroy him. When humans rejected God, He didn’t reject us. Instead, He sent his Son to reconcile us to Him. Not to force us to reconcile with Him, but to give us the choice to love Him if we decide to do so.

Jesus’ is the best example of what authentic love looks like in a world that has rejected God. He served the weak, championed the marginalised, healed the sick and loved the outcasts. And then, in the ultimate expression of love, He died for everyone—whether or not they loved Him. But God’s love isn’t about yesterday, it’s about now.

Billions of people today find acceptance, strength, purpose and hope in the loving arms of God. And, we look forward to when Jesus returns to take us to live with Him in a world where evil will not exist—a world where love rules, because God rules.

Who is God? God is love.

The Bible as the only source of our beliefs

We consider our movement to be the result of the Protestant conviction Sola Scriptura—the Bible as the only standard of faith and practice for Christians.

We believe that every human is miraculously crafted by God and that He wants us to live life to the fullest. What’s more, He sent His Son to demonstrate true love, forgiveness, grace and hope. It is our relationship with Jesus Christ that defines every facet of who Adventists are. Our lives have meaning because we have value.

We have a holistic view of our relationships with Christ and the world around us. We believe that spiritual and emotional wellbeing foster an active mind; an active mind is fuelled by a healthy body; and a healthy body and mind enables healthy social relationships.

As part of our holistic approach to the spiritual journey, we believe in disconnecting from the everyday world to care for our spiritual dimension one day every week—we call this the Sabbath Day. The Sabbath Day, which for us begins as sunset on Friday and ends sunset Saturday, is a gift from God to all of us, because, as our Designer, He knows we need a day off every week. This gives us time to refocus our lives on the things that matter most and to let our body, mind and spirit recuperate.

Authentic love is expressed through service

Love for Christ and one another are at the centre of every facet of our faith. Serving others is the highest form of that love. That is why we are active in health, education, development, relief and in spreading the good news of God’s forgiveness and promise of salvation (through grace).

Just how active are we?

Currently, Seventh-day Adventists operate over 389 hospitals and clinics around the world that provide nearly 16 million outpatient visits annually. In the South Pacific Region we operate the Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing Company, well known through its healthy products (Weet-Bix and Up&Go, for example) and wellbeing initiatives in the corporate and private sectors. In this region we also operate 56 medical clinics across the South Pacific islands—and most of which are in communities that have no other healthcare providers.

There are almost 1.7 million students in our global education system. Our institutions provide education from pre-school through to universities granting doctoral degrees. Adventists also operate a large network of aged care facilities and orphanages.

Through an international network, ADRA delivers relief and development assistance to individuals in more than 130 countries—regardless of their ethnicity, political affiliation, or religious association. By partnering with communities, organizations, and governments, ADRA is able to improve the quality of life of millions through 9 impact areas.

A wholistic health approach

Adventists are often studied because of our longevity and relatively low rates of some of the most devastating lifestyle diseases.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church recognizes the autonomy of each individual and his or her God-given power of choice. Rather than mandating standards of behavior, We call upon one another to live as positive examples of God’s love and care.

Part of that example includes taking care of our health—we believe God calls us to care for our bodies, treating them with the respect a divine creation deserves. Gluttony and excess, even of something good, can be detrimental to our health.

We believe the key to wellness lies in a life of balance and temperance. Nature creates a wealth of good things that lead to vibrant health. Pure water, fresh air and sunlight—when used appropriately—promote clean, healthy lives.

Exercise and avoidance of harmful substances such as tobacco, alcohol and mind-altering substances lead to clear minds and wise choices. A well-balanced vegetarian diet that avoids the consumption of meat coupled with intake of legumes, whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables, along with a source of vitamin B12, will promote vigorous health.

We believe that the best way to avoid disease is prevention. Hence our emphasis on a lifestyle in harmony with the natural laws of health.

Meeting spiritual needs

Our goal, however, isn’t just to meet the physical and educational needs of people—our goal is to also meet the deep spiritual hunger within everyone. And people all over the world are responding in record numbers to that spiritual call.

An independent analysis of the most recent Australian census, found the Adventist Church grew 14 per cent in the five years between censuses. Commenting on the growth, the independent analyst notes: “The Census provides a picture of the Seventh-day Adventists around Australia as a highly multicultural and comparatively young Church with lots of young families. There is every reason to expect growth to continue…” *

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is also among the fastest growing churches in many nations of the Pacific, and around the world, including the United States where, according to the USA Today newspaper, it is the fastest growing Christian denomination.

We know we’re imperfect

Do we have our share of failures, problems, disappointments and unfilled plans? Of course we do. But the love that God gives to us is so deep, so broad, so all encompassing, that we have joy in our journey, even in a world that can at times be impossibly cruel.

Life is good, because God is good. We have balance, because God gives us balance. We are whole, because Christ makes us whole. We have love to give, because God reinforces love for us every single moment of our lives.

If you’d like to know more about Seventh-day Adventist Christians, visitourglobalpage stop by our church.

*Dr Phillip Hughes, Seventh-day Adventists Report based on the [Australian] National Population and Housing Census, Christian Research Association, 2012.